Nick Moss & The Flip Tops 2009 Live At Chan's - Combo Platter No. 2

Genre: Blues
Rate: 225 kbps VBR / 44100
Time: 01:17:37
Size: 116,87 MB



Review

The first time Nick Moss & the Flip Tops cut a live set at Chan's blues club in Rhode Island, the resulting album was nominated for two Blues Music Awards -- Album of the Year and Traditional Blues Album of the Year, not to mention nominations for Band of the Year and Best Instrumentalist: Guitar for Moss. The band returned to Chan's in the summer of 2008 to wax another live gig, this time joined by legendary Chicago bluesman Lurrie Bell and Kate Moss on bass. The live recordings that add to a band's rep are few and far between, but Moss and his gang have never played a note that doesn't brim over with passion, making Live at Chan's, Combo Platter No. 2 a worthy companion to the fireworks of the original Live at Chan's.

The opener, "Spare Ribs and Chopsticks" lets the basic Flip Top quartet loosen up with extended solos from Moss and Piano Willie O'Shawny on piano. Moss is pure Chicago in his tone and style, but there's a hint of country blues (and C&W twang) in his solos, while O'Shawny simply burns up the keys with his right hand throwing off plenty of honky tonk sparks. "Try to Treat You Right," a Moss original from First Offense, is a launching pad for another extended Moss solo full of bent and slurred notes and Gerry Hundt's soulful harmonica, with Kate Moss adding a slinky bassline to the slow smoky tune. Hundt's "Whiskey Makes Me Mean," a boogie-woogie tune from his debut Since Way Back, gives Hundt a chance to show off his expertise on the blues mandolin. He drops a bit of "Choo Choo Ca-Boogie" into his extended solo while Moss blows harp and O'Shawny delivers his usual expert keyboard work. "Lonesome Bedroom Blues," by pianist Curtis Jones gets a down and dirty treatment with Moss singing vocal lines that twist and turn like his guitar solos before standing aside to let O'Shawny deliver a solo full of ripping high notes that send chills down your spine. Lurrie Bell joins the band for the last four tunes on the album. Bell sings lead on "Don't You Lie to Me," the Hudson Whittaker tune made famous by Tampa Red, then trades solos with Moss with able support from O'Shawny's piano. Eddie Boyd's "Five Long Years" is a showcase for the duelling solos of Moss and Bell. Bell gives Willie Dixon's "I'm Ready" a playful feel with a winking vocal and stinging guitar work that makes a nice contrast to Moss' more fluid lead lines. The ensemble takes it home with "I Wanna Know," a rockin' Moss original that features O'Shawny's dynamic right hand, barrelhouse backing vocals from the band, and Moss and Bell setting off more fretboard fireworks. (http://www.allmusic.com)


Tracklist:

01 - Spare Ribs & Chopsticks 08:24

02 - Try To Treat You Right 08:05

03 - Whiskey Makes Me Mean 03:13

04 - I Got All Kinds Of Love 04:49

05 - Lonesome Bedroom Blues 09:07

06 - Fill 'er Up 07:46

07 - Don't You Lie To Me 08:39

08 - Five Long Years 13:00

09 - I'm Ready 06:56

10 - I Wanna Know 07:38





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Nick Moss & The Flip Tops 2007 Play It 'til Tomorrow

Genre: Blues
Rate: 192 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 02:00:01
Size: 164,50 MB



Nick Moss wasn't well known outside of blues circles when he cut this generous two-CD, 28-song set in late 2007, but you can blame that on the fragmented nature of the music business at the start of the 21st century. Moss and his Flip Tops, a blues supergroup if there ever was one, are every bit as exciting as the Paul Butterfield Band was during its heyday, an outfit brimming over with talent. On this set the band includes keyboard, bass, and guitar man Willie Oshawny; Gerry Hundt on guitar, bass, harp, and mandolin; drummer Bob Carter; and Moss, on guitar, harp, and lead vocals, with special guest Eddie Taylor, Jr., on guitar. (Taylor's father, Eddie, Sr., played with Jimmy Reed.)

After the first few tracks, you'll be thinking that this must be a big band; the Flip Tops put out an amazingly full, rich sound for a quartet, a big, gritty explosion of Chicago blues that clearly tips its hat to the Chess Records sound of the late '50s and early '60s. Two things elevate Moss and company above their influences and mark them as innovators, the original tunes Moss contributes and the fiery attack of the band. Disc one features the electric band and does what recorded music seldom does, by capturing the frenzy of a live date. "Late Night Saint" opens things up with its sexy stomping rhythms and Moss' trademark stinging guitar work. The ensemble contributes shouts of "give it to me, mama" to add to the track's boisterous feel. Things go into overdrive on "You Make Me So Angry" featuring a guitar duel between Moss and Taylor, Jr., and "Bad Avenue," which opens up with a frenetic instrumental interlude before dropping into a Ray Charles-style shuffle that features some of Moss' most blistering fretwork with stinging single-note runs that give way to flurries of jittery 32nd notes. "Lyin' for Profit," "Peculiar Feeling," and "The Rump Bump" will all have you jumping out of your chair with their smoky, grinding, late-night energy, as will the stomping groove of "Grease Fire," another showcase for Moss' guitar, goosed along by Oshawny's slick organ work. Disc two is all acoustic, but it displays the same furious energy of the Flip Tops electric band. "You've Got the Devil Inside" is driven by Oshawny's ferocious barrelhouse piano, Carter's drums, and Hundt's harmonica. "Crazy Mixed Up Baby '07" gives a tune from the Flip Tops' debut, First Offense, a makeover with Hundt pounding out a Leadbelly-like rhythm on guitar while Moss drops some clanging Delta blues leads into the mix. "I Shall Not Be Moved," a spiritual that was once a civil rights anthem, gets a funky reading from Moss on guitar and Hundt contributing chiming mandolin work. "It's Written in the Bible" is less spiritual and more apocalyptic with Oshawny's rippling right-hand runs and Hundt's harp adding to the tune's wicked groove. "Slim's Lament" is another unruly throwdown with Carter's kick drum supplying the bassline and Hundt's harp blowing up a storm.

Moss' vocals throughout are masterful, by turns pleading and growling, a gruff primal bark dripping with urban grit. There's not a weak track on either set, another fine outing from a band at the top of its form. (http://www.allmusic.com)



Tracklist:


CD1:

01 - Late Night Saint 05:02

02 - You Make Me So Angry 04:48

03 - Woman Don't Lie 04:39

04 - Mistakes From The Past 05:11

05 - Bad Avenue 06:46

06 - Lyin' For Profit 04:02

07 - Herman's Holler 03:43

08 - Grease Fire 04:37

09 - Rising Wind 05:09

10 - Tend To Your Business 03:50

11 - My Love Is Like A Fire 04:20

12 - Peculiar Feeling 05:30

13 - Too Many Miles 03:09

14 - The Rump Bump 06:22

15 - -Untitled- 00:17


CD2:

01 - You've Got The Devil Inside 04:06

02 - I'll Be Straight With You 02:16

03 - Another Life Is Gone 04:37

04 - Fill 'Er Up 03:04

05 - It's Written In The Bible 04:57

06 - Wild Imagination 03:43

07 - You'll Remember My Name 03:16

08 - Crazy Mixed Up Baby '07 02:32

09 - Got My Mail Today 03:28

10 - I Shall Not Be Moved 03:09

11 - Slim's Lament 04:15

12 - Married Woman Blues 05:51

13 - I'll Be Straight With You (Alt. Take) 02:57

14 - It's Written In The Bible (Alt. Take) 04:25





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Nick Moss & The Flip Tops 2006 Live At Chan's

Genre: Blues
Rate: 320 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 01:16:21
Size: 174,67 MB



Nick Moss & The Flip Tops are one of the hardest working blues bands out there right now, and are also among the torch-bearers of the hard, ensemble-based Chicago-style blues. If you like your blues in the style of that made famous during the ‘50s and ‘60s, in the style of the magnificent Magic Slim & The Teardrops, then the Flip Tops are the band for you. In addition to leading The Flip Tops, Nick Moss also runs his own record label, Blue Bella, along with his wife Kate. Check out other releases on Blue Bella; you will not be sorry.

This CD, Live At Chan’s, was recorded in Woonsocket, Rhode Island back in July 2005, and was released in 2006. It contains 76 minutes of hot, thumping, grooving, muscular Chicago blues, and retains the feel of an actual live set. The typical live band line-up is Moss on guitar, Gerry Hundt on bass, Piano Willie Oshawny on keys, along with a drummer. On this recording the drummer was Victor Spann. During the course of a Flip Tops show the guys enjoy swapping instruments, and you’ll find Nick Moss on harp or bass, Hundt on harp, guitar, mandolin or keys, and Oshawny on bass. As if that isn’t fun enough, for this recording the band invited local-boy-made-great-blues-guitarist Monster Mike Welch to play on several songs as a 2nd guitarist.

Nick takes the lead vocals on all but one song here (he should have taken all the vocals, or left the other track as an instrumental). Personally, I hear a lot of Jr. Wells influences in Nick’s singing style, although Nick’s voice is deeper. Nick had developed into a fine lead singer by the time this CD was recorded, and he’s only gotten better since. (http://www.stlblues.net)



Tracklist:

01 - Eggroll Stroll 07:16

02 - Check My Pulse 05:46

03 - I Love The Woman 10:10

04 - I Never Forget 07:03

05 - One-Eyed Jack 07:19

06 - Your Red Wagon 06:29

07 - Just Like That 04:42

08 - It's Good In Your Neighbourhood 07:03

09 - The End 07:46

10 - Wine-O-Baby Boogie 05:36

11 - Move Over, Morris 07:07





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Nick Moss & The Flip Tops 2003 Count Your Blessings

Genre: Blues
Rate: 192 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 01:17:16
Size: 106,04 MB



Following up on his 2001 release, 'Got A New Plan', wasn't going to be an easy move for Nick Moss and his band, The Flip Tops. The wide-ranging critical acclaim for his last disc landed in blues publications on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and as far away as Japan and Australia with the general consensus echoing the idea that Moss could well be the future of blues. With 'Count Your Blessings', the votes shouldn't sway a peg. Nick Moss & The Flip Tops still consist of harrowing guitar and booming vocals courtesy of Moss, plus the tried-and-tested rhythm section of Andy Lester and Greg Campbell, and there are plenty of guests this time around as well. Nick's recent bride, Kate, handles additional guitar chores and Barrelhouse Chuck has become a full-time member, but adding the talents of Anson Funderburgh, Sam Myers, Lynwood Slim, Curtis Salgado, Johnny Bradley, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, and Bob Stroger make the party an even bigger success than most should have expected.

If one thing is immediately evident it's that there's more of a flat-out Chicago feel present on this new release due in part to the material as well as the congregation gathered to spread the gospel. Curtis Salgado's harmonica work is ridiculously good, and while that should come as no big surprise to those familiar with his work, it might cause some to wonder why he doesn't play anywhere near as much on his own discs. Nick's guitar and voice play perfect foil to each other; while his vocals are projected smoothly with plenty of feel, his guitar playing has the dirt and grime of Chicago's tenement neighborhoods, and the inclusion of Barrelhouse Chuck's keyboard abilities complement the outcome with heavy doses of Otis Spann, Sunnyland Slim, and other fallen Windy City heroes. Highlights over the first half of the CD are far too numerous to list but Heavy On My Mind exudes more Chicago grit than a Southside gutter, Do You Know is astounding with an infectious push-and-pull groove, I'm Mad features broomdusting guitar and two-fisted piano, and Porchlight sports a distinct funkified approach. A little better than the first half of the disc is made up of sharp originals while the second half pulls together Leroy Carr's Barrelhouse Woman, Floyd Jones' Ain't Times Hard, Big Bill Broonzy's Hey, Hey, A.C. Reed's This Little Voice, Sonny Boy II's She Brought Life Back To The Dead, and more, but there's no discernable difference between the Moss-penned items and the golden gems chosen as covers.

Nick Moss & The Flip Tops are the real and raw deal, but don't take some reviewer's word for it, grab Count Your Blessings and find out for yourself! www.nickmoss.com has additional CDs, gigging schedules, t-shirts, gadgets, and all-around fun stuff. (Craig Ruskey)


Tracklist:

01 - Heavy On My Mind 06:03

02 - Count Your Blessings 03:50

03 - Gold Digger 04:42

04 - Do You Know 05:16

05 - Hip Toss 05:14

06 - Porchlight 04:12

07 - I'm Mad 05:59

08 - So Tired 05:43

09 - Panic Attack 05:33

10 - Break Bad 04:38

11 - W-A-S-T-E-D 03:00

12 - Barrelhouse Woman 02:58

13 - Ain't Times Hard 04:02

14 - Hey Hey (Bonus Track) 03:11

15 - This Little Voice (Bonus Track) 02:19

16 - I Chose To Sing The Blues (Bonus Track) 04:18

17 - She Brought Life Back To The Dead (Bonus Track) 02:49

18 - Lightnin' (Bonus Track) 03:29





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Nick Moss & The Flip Tops 2001 Got A New Plan

Genre: Blues
Rate: 320 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 01:05:10
Size: 149,20 MB



Psst - here's a secret . . . reviewers read reviews too! Sometimes it's retroactive, to see if others agree with our assessment; sometimes it's in advance just to see if we too might like a given disc.

I'd read a couple of rave reviews of Nick Moss's sophomore effort, "Got A New Plan," before it arrived. So I approached it with pretty high expectations - expectations I'm happy to say were met or exceeded on almost all counts. This is one fine outing indeed; not perfect, mind, but its strengths far outweigh any weaknesses.

Nick's young by blues standards, yet he's already found time to tour with both the Legendary Blues Band and the late Jimmy Rogers. With a background like that it should come as no surprise he's learned a few lessons about classic Chicago blues, and that's just what one gets with "Got A New Plan, Nick's second outing under his own name.

There are a generous fourteen tracks here, with ten from Nick himself. And for the most part it's Nick's own compositions that work best. Firmly within tradition (circa 50's Chicago), they range from pure twelve-bar grinders fuelled by Nick's lean, tough guitar and Bill Lupkin's thick-toned harp, to soul-drenched numbers driven by Des Desormeaux's one-man brass orchestra. There's funk on Nick's own "Work Your Hips" and Donny Hathaway's "(Kind Of) Ghetto" (to me the disc's least successful track - it simply goes on too long). Nick shows he can go deep on "Katie Ann," an original that sounds as though it's straight off the plantation. And "Arrowmaker Pass" gets my vote for instrumental of the year, it's certainly the coolest riff I've heard in a long, long time.

Nick's vocals are honest enough but not his strongest point; it's particularly apparent on his cover of "My Love Strikes Like Lightening," which suffers in comparison to Muddy's original. On the plus side, he seems to know his limitations and doesn't allow his reach to exceed his abilities. And honesty's always been what counts anyway, right?

Production has a lot to do with the project's success; it sounds like a vintage outing from the fifties, lots of dirt and echo apparent throughout; credit producer Richard Duran, better known to most as Lynwood Slim, who also contributes harp to the aforementioned "Katie Ann."

When a relatively young band releases a disc so firmly in a traditional vein, it's inevitable that comparisons will be made with the masters of old. In Nick's case, everything holds up remarkably well, and the inclusion of so many strong originals shows much promise for the future. I look forward to hearing more from Nick.

Highly recommended, particularly to those who love 'old school!' (This review is copyright © 2003 by John Taylor, and Blues On Stage)


Tracklist:

01 - When It Rains It Really Pours 04:32

02 - Ain't Got That Time 03:51

03 - Playing By The Rules 03:16

04 - Arrowmaker Pass 04:25

05 - Let's Try This Again 06:50

06 - My Daddy Was Right 04:45

07 - Work Your Hips 04:44

08 - For You 03:35

09 - Boogie Man 03:21

10 - Poison Ivy 04:12

11 - Katie Ann 06:09

12 - My Love Strikes Like Lightning 03:04

13 - Two Fools With A Misunderstand 05:43

14 - (Kind Of) Ghetto 06:43





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Nick Moss & The Flip Tops 2005 Sadie Mae

Genre: Blues
Rate: 320 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 01:15:07
Size: 171,83 MB



Review by Scott Yanow

Many so-called blues releases are actually filled with bluesy R&B, soul, pop, and rock. There is no such stylistic confusion in Sadie Mae from Nick Moss & the Flip Tops. The music is no-nonsense blues, played with spirit, drive, and swing. Most of the selections are concise, getting their message across and not overstaying their welcome. By varying tempos and moods plus including occasional instrumentals, the quintet performs enjoyable and memorable music, with an emphasis on cooking straight-ahead grooves. Lead voices are Nick Moss on guitar and vocals, harmonica player Gerry Hunot, and pianist Bob Welsh (doubling on organ), but the tight yet loose rhythm section is not to be overlooked either. This is a fun set, well worthy of several listens.



Tracklist:

01 - Sadie Mae 04:28

02 - I Never Forget 03:28

03 - Check My Pulse 04:19

04 - Just Like That 02:53

05 - Ridin' At The Ranch 05:32

06 - One Eyed Jack 04:26

07 - Grease Monkey 06:24

08 - The Money I Make 03:45

09 - Feel So Ashamed 04:10

10 - The Coldcut Stomp 02:38

11 - The Bishop 06:01

12 - You Got To Lose 05:05

13 - If I Could Get My Hands On You 05:35

14 - Crazy Woman Blues 07:21

15 - Everybody Got To Go 04:10

16 - Gone Hoggin' 04:52





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